SOUTH EL MONTE – Jayson Perez arrived at South El Monte High School knowing very little about cross country.

He will leave as the elite boys runner in the area.

But that matters little to the senior.

Making it back to the CIF state championships, which he missed last year after qualifying as a sophomore, does.

“I use it as extra motivation this year,” said Perez, who hopes to make it through the first step to the state meet at Fresno when he competes in this weekend’s CIF-Southern Section divisional prelims at Mt. San Antonio College. “I didn’t make it last year, and this year I want to come back and hopefully I can make it all the way.

“I’ve been running hard, running tough. I know I can get through this weekend and be there at CIF finals. I will have my shot at making it to state, which is my goal.”

Which, when you go back four years ago, is a pretty stout aspiration for someone who, as an incoming freshman, knew little about cross country.

“I didn’t even know I was a good runner when I first started,” Perez said. “I just felt like a normal runner, then in my sophomore year I learned I could be pretty fast. I just kept building on that.”

It’s that work ethic that has allowed Perez to separate him from the rest. He used it to advance to the state championships as a sophomore, which he followed up with a solid junior year, although he missed the state meet after finishing 26th with a time of 16 minutes, nine sections in the Division III race at the CIF-SS finals.

But that just forced him to work harder.

“He’s very self-motivated,” South El Monte coach Sonia Ayala said. “He’s such a hard worker. He was disappointed last year, but it’s just made him want to work harder.

“He’s also taken on more of a leadership role. He brought this team together and helped us capture the league title.”

The Eagles, who have played second fiddle the past few years in the Mission Valley League, broke through this season and, led by Perez and junior Isaias Hinojoso, cruised to the title undefeated.

Perez ranked it right up there with some of his past individual accomplishments.

“It was so cool,” he said of the league title. “I’ve been trying for it the last two years, and we finally took it. I’m really proud of the team.”

Ayala credited the relationship of Perez and Hinojoso, who have helped each other to become a solid tandem for the Eagles. The duo had two of the better times at the Mt. SAC Invitational on Oct. 30. Perez turned in a 16:10, with Hinojoso next at 16:41.

“I think he and Isaias have worked well together,” Ayala said. “Jayson has helped Isaias be a better runner, and Isaias has helped him in the leadership role, which (Perez) needed to take this year.”

It’s also helped Perez turn in some of the area’s quicker times this year. But he’s also had to do it while trying to live up to the expectations of his previous year’s accomplishments.

“The last few years, I’ve run really well,” he said. “There’s been pressure to run faster, especially because people expect more from you.

“But I use that as motivation. I’ve been running good this year.”

Perez, who believes South El Monte could but up some solid numbers as a team this weekend, now is ready to run his best.

His coach believes he’s ready.

“I think he is,” Ayala said. “He’s had a good season and has been waiting for these high-caliber races and the end of the season and CIF.”

Perez, who won at Rosemead earlier this season and had career bests at the San Gabriel Valley and Mt. SAC invitationals, said he’s ready to take that first step, which he hopes returns him to the Nov. 28 state championships in Fresno.

Steve Ramirez writes about public safety issues including criminal justice and fires in Inland Southern California. He previously covered high schools, college football and motor sports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune since 1989. He's a big fan of Buddy Holly and loves World War II movies.

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